In order to ensure the testing of Patria 6×6 armored vehicles in Latvia before their delivery to the National Armed Forces (NAF) and their inclusion in the register of military vehicles, an agreement has been signed between the Defense Ministry and the manufacturer Defence Partnership Latvia for the testing of military vehicles at the Adaži military training ground, Defense Ministry representatives informed LETA.
The Defense Ministry has found a temporary solution for testing Patria 6×6 armored personnel carriers until the relevant legislation is provided, said Ugis Romanovs, Chairman of the Board of Defence Partnership Latvia and Patria Latvia.
In order to facilitate the long-term testing of Latvian-made military equipment, the Defense Ministry has drafted and submitted to the Transport Ministry proposals for amendments to the Road Traffic Law, which will be considered by the Saeima Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee.
The proposed amendments provide for the possibility, on the basis of a request from the Defense Ministry, to register and assign a special number plate to special military vehicles and their trailers manufactured by a defence-certified commercial company but not yet put into service.
The amendments also provide for the right to drive such equipment to a person holding the required category of driving licence and authorized by the manufacturer, as currently only NAF personnel may drive military vehicles.
Under the current legal framework, only special military equipment in the NAF’s use was added to a separate register. With the development of the military industry, legislative amendments are necessary to ensure that manufacturers can move the equipment they produce in line with production and testing needs.
The Defense Ministry underlines that the delivery of Patria 6×6 armored vehicles to the NAF remains on schedule. The Defense Ministry, together with the NAF, other state institutions and business, continues work to ensure support for the development of the Latvian military industry.
On August 5, the first fully Latvian-built Patria armored personnel carrier will be handed over to the National Armed Forces at the Adazi military base.
As reported, working in two shifts, the Defence Partnership Latvia production facility in Valmiera will be able to produce 160 Patria 6×6 armored personnel carriers per year, Romanovs said at the opening of the production facility.
The plant has a capacity of 80 armored personnel carriers per shift per year, but currently only fulfills the Latvian National Armed Forces (NAF) order of 30 armored personnel carriers per year. This year, 25 Patria 6×6 armored personnel carriers are planned to be produced.
According to Firmas.lv, Defence Partnership Latvia had a turnover of EUR 519,370 and a loss of EUR 129,392 in 2022. The company was registered in 2020 with a share capital of EUR 203,777.
Defence Partnership Latvia is co-owned by Patria Latvia (70.03 percent), whose sole owner is Patria ISP, registered in Finland, and Unitruck (29.97 percent), owned by Normunds Drilevskis.
Source: BNS
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